New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Tamar Light Violet’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant named ‘Tamar Light Violet’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant growth habit; freely branching and freely flowering habit; dark green-colored foliage; and large rounded light violet-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Impatiens hawkeri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Tamar Light Violet’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Tamar Light Violet’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned the breeding programconducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective ofbreeding program is to develop new Impatiens cultivars with largerounded flowers and attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 2002 with the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Harmony Lavender,not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Impatiens hawkericultivar Tamar Lavender, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,180, as the male, orpollen, parent. The cultivar Tamar Light Violet was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in De Lier, TheNetherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in DeLier, The Netherlands since 2002, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Tamar Light Violet’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Tamar Light Violet’ as a newand distinct Impatiens cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant        growth habit.    -   2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   4. Large rounded light violet-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar Harmony Lavender. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar Harmony Lavender in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens flowered earlier than plants of        the cultivar Harmony Lavender.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Harmony Lavender.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the maleparent, the cultivar Tamar Lavender. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar Tamar Lavender in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Tamar Lavender.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar Tamar Lavender        differed in flower color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Tamar Violet, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar Tamar Violet in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more vigorous than plants of        the cultivar Tamar Violet.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Tamar Violet.    -   3. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar Tamar Violet        differed in flower coloration as plants of the cultivar Tamar        Violet had lighter colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Impatiens.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Tamar Light Violet’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowersof ‘Tamar Light Violet’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the cultivar Tamar Light Violet have not been observed underall possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhatwith variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in De Lier, The Netherlands, under commercialproduction practice in a glass-covered greenhouse during the summer.Rooted young plants were planted in 12-cm containers and theaforementioned photographs and following observations and measurementswere taken about ten weeks later. During the production of the plants,day and night temperatures averaged 20° C. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Tamar Light    Violet.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Harmony Lavender,            not patented.        -   Male parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Tamar Lavender, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal tip cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 5 to 7 days at 19 to            20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 6 to 8 days at 19 to            20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 to 19            days at 19 to 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 14 to 21            days at 19 to 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine; white to brown in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Upright, outwardly spreading and            uniformly mounded plant growth habit; freely branching            habit; bushy appearance; freely flowering. Moderately            vigorous.        -   Crop time.—From a rooted cutting, about nine weeks are            required to produce finished flowering plants in 12-cm            containers.        -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 39 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About nine. Length:            About 18 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Internode length: About            5.5 cm. Strength: Moderate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Luster: Slightly glossy. Color: 146C; above the nodes, 178A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Primarily in whorls with            about five leaves per whorl; simple. Length: About 11.5 cm.            Width: About 5.5 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base:            Attenuate. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Luster, upper and            lower surfaces: Moderately glossy. Venation pattern:            Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: Between            144A and 137A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 184B.            Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 195B.            Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 184A; towards the            base, 147C; venation, 182B. Petiole: Length: About 3.8 cm.            Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surface:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: 195B. Color, lower            surface: 185B to 185C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single, rounded, light            violet-colored flowers. Freely and continuously flowering;            usually about 20 flowers per lateral branch. Flowers            positioned just above the foliage; flowers typically face            upright to outward, typically parallel to the leaf canopy.            Petals not persistent; gynoecium persistent. Flowers not            fragrant.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the plant.        -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In            the garden, plants flower from the spring throughout the            summer.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: Between 70B to 70C and 69C.        -   Flower diameter.—About 6.5 cm.        -   Flower depth (excluding spur).—About 1.8 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length: Banner            petals: About 2.5 cm. Lateral and base petals: About 3 cm.            Width: Banner petal: About 3.9 cm. Lateral and base petals:            About 3.4 cm. Shape: Banner petal: Reniform. Lateral and            base petals: Broadly obcordate. Apex: Banner petal: Retuse.            Lateral and base petals: Emarginate. Base, all petals:            Attenuate. Margin, all petals: Entire. Texture, all petals,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color:            When opening, banner petal, upper surface: Between 76A and            slightly lighter than 77D; towards the apical center, blush            of 78A. When opening, lateral and base petals, upper            surface: Between 76A and 77D; central stripes, 78B. When            opening, banner petal, lower surface: Between 76A and 77D;            towards the base, 78B. When opening, lateral and base            petals, lower surface: Between 76A and 77D; central stripes,            78B. Fully opened, banner petal, upper surface: Between 76A            and 77D; towards the apical center, blush of 78A. Fully            opened, lateral and base petals, upper surface: Between 76A            and 77D; central stripes, 78B. Fully opened, banner petal,            lower surface: Between 76A and 77D; towards the base, 78B.            Fully opened, lateral and base petals, lower surface:            Between 76A and 77D; central stripes, 78B.        -   Spur.—Length: About 5.3 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Aspect:            Curved. Color, immature and mature: 145C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Strength: Moderately strong,            flexible. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Color: 145B to            145C.        -   Reproduction organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused            at anthers, hooded; filaments free. Anther length: About            2 mm. Anther shape: Obovate. Anther color: 182D. Pollen            amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 158D. Gynoecium: Pistil            quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1 mm. Stigma            color: 157D. Style: Not visible. Ovary: Five-celled. Ovary            color: 144A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been    observed to tolerate temperatures of about 10° C. to about 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named‘Tamar Light Violet’, as illustrated and described.